Stage Write

It’s not often you get a peek behind the curtain as an audience member in the theater. I was able to glimpse behind the scenes of the Indiana Repertory Theater’s latest production The 39 Steps. It’s impossible not to have a greater appreciation for a production when you see the actual hammering and sewing that it takes to make it happen. This particular show was done by the IRT in 2011 and many of the sets were saved. The theater-within-a-theater design and creative use of ladders and trunks made for a versatile set. It was easy to morph from a train to a plane with minimal shifts.   The show relies heavily on the gag of four people playing a huge cast of characters. Much of the heavy lifting lands on the shoulders of Ema Zivkovic and Michael Stewart Allen who each play a revolving cast of characters with enthusiasm. Often, they play multiple roles in the same scene, swapping wigs or jackets for a pipe and hat. The pair bring such energy to the play that you can’t help watching t...

The 39 Steps is about a man accused of a crime he didn’t commit. The Hitchcock movie of the same name has a dark tone, but anyone expecting a moody mystery is in for a shock. The Indiana Repertory Theatre’s production of The 39 Steps is more Monty Python than suspenseful drama and delightfully so. The whirlwind play features only four actors, but between them they take on the roles of a man on the run, police officers, a newsboy, underwear salesmen, a Scottish farmer and his wife, spies, a milkman, a performer, a dead body or two, and more! The show makes liberal use of simple props, which adds to the constant stream of laughter. Getting the audience to enjoy slapstick comedy and cheeky jokes for two hours can be a difficult task, but the IRT maintains the hilarious high throughout the show. Tom Aulino and the always excellent Rob Johansen deserve massive kudos for their nonstop performances. Both men pull on costume after costume, donning wigs and various hats, to portray the majori...